EU, US, UK sign first international AI treaty

European Union (EU) members, the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) are among the countries that have signed the first-ever legally binding international treaty addressing the risks of artificial intelligence (AI), the Council of Europe said yesterday.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence, Human Rights, Democracy, and the Rule of Law was opened for signature during a conference of the Council of Europe Ministers of Justice in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

It is the first-ever international legally binding treaty to ensure the use of AI systems is fully consistent with human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

In a statement, the Council of Europe said the Framework Convention was signed by Andorra, Georgia, Iceland, Norway, Moldova, San Marino, the UK, Israel, the US and the EU.

Council of Europe secretary-general Marija Pejcinovic Buric said they must ensure that the rise of AI “upholds our standards instead of undermining them”.

“The Framework Convention is designed to ensure just that. It is a strong and balanced text - the result of the open and inclusive approach by which it was drafted and ensures that it benefits from multiple and expert perspectives,” she said in the statement.

Buric noted that the Framework Convention is an open treaty with a potentially global reach, hoping that these will be the first of many signatures and will be followed quickly by ratifications so that the treaty can enter into force as soon as possible.

The treaty provides a legal framework that covers the entire lifecycle of AI systems, promoting progress and innovation in AI while managing the risks it may pose to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

- Bernama

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